5 Steps Toward Making an Indispensable Recruiting Team

During this economic downturn, recession, slump — pick your phrase — we have seen more contract recruiters and search companies take a hit. Not a surprise. Fewer hires, and thereby less to outsource to third parties. As I talk with third-party recruiting organizations, many are trying desperately to branch out into other industries, get new accounts, and market. Many are changing terms and offering discounts. This behavior was expected, and as with the time after the Internet boom, and there are a percentage of these staffing companies that just won’t make it. There are a number of contract recruiters who will also want to go inside.

However, our U.S. economic situation may not allow for expansion of RPO or the conversion of contractors to full-time hires.

    * HR transformation (defined as increasing the percentage of HR specialists in recruiting, compensation, OD, and other HR disciplines) has been a trend for several years.
    * Many organizations have already made the decision to re-invest in their internal recruiting organizations or transfer to RPO
    * Out-of-work contract recruiters and those working for RPO/search firms who were laid off are going to find that their brothers and sisters in corporate recruiting have also been let go. So how is there possibly room for an executive search or RPO veteran on the inside, let alone getting transactional business?
    * Hundreds, if not thousands, of corporate recruiters have their goals and objectives directly tied to open requisitions, and with requisitions being down, why outsource?

How did we get to our current situation? How did we so closely link the entire function to transactional work? Why didn’t we align recruiting to business objectives, like procurement, finance, and information technology have done? We had the opportunity to transition to talent organizations built with strategic leaders and rely on partnerships or flexible staffs to do variable work. As staffing experts, we should have known better.

We should have learned from our manufacturing colleagues, who eliminated part-time workers and outsourced shift labor in exchange for full-time efficiency, quality, and safety experts. From our IT colleagues, who stopped programming in house and swapped headcount for MBA business analysts that sit with the business and solve problems. But what is done is done. There are recruiters with no jobs to fill, and thus no need for recruiters.

Our leaders need to retool the function and staff to a headcount level that disregards the number of positions filled annually.

What? You want me to build a recruiting organization and not use the number of hires we have to indicate how many people should be on the team? Exactly.

Let’s admit something first. For years we have been measuring time to fill, cost per hire, and all these different metrics, and benchmarking ourselves against world-class companies. Google does this, and Microsoft does that. Honeywell does this and GE does that. Now we have no reqs open (or considerably fewer open) and we have a bunch of managers looking around saying “what are you doing recruiting?”

Well, most companies don’t have brands like Google or Microsoft, and many don’t have the HR/project management excellence of Honeywell or General Electric. So why do we continue to try to mimic their every move? While mimicking we used inflated numbers and transactional data to build our recruiting operations and now we have nothing to operate on, and thus we are expendable. We became the manufacturing plant that needs to be shut down because nobody is buying cars.

Take this time to look at your remaining group and rethink. Here are some steps to get you started on building an indispensable team, and one that will retain employees in the new economy:
Evaluate the Team

Figure out if there are team members in your organization who were hired based on the simple fact that they can handle managers and fill reqs when open. This group may need some training. Get them trained up on project management, special initiatives, and communicating with managers regularly and regardless of hire. Of course they may feel like they are targets for dismissal now, and may be looking at industries that are hiring and ready to make a switch. So talk to them. Get an understanding of their point of view, and then craft personal development plans as needed.
Talk to Leaders About Their Plans

Get a handle of the attrition and retention rates of your company historically, and ask the CEO and executive suite what the real plans are. Are you letting people go? Acquiring? Divesting? Get a handle on the new volume — not so you can divide up the reqs, but so you can create a service organization that can enable the business. You need to plan on some hiring eventually, and your team needs to be customer-service oriented, and ready for anything in this new economy. Now is not the time to start adding hiring managers to each member of your team; instead, set a tone where each recruiter spends more time with each hiring manager.
Prepare for More Work

Assume that it will be harder than before to perform staffing. The talent marketplace may have increased, but that does not always mean it is easier. Look at the facts: we were already on track for talent shortage with the baby boomers retiring, and that generation lost 40% of its net worth. You think they are retiring now? No, they are staying put, and likely not moving around. With real estate in the tank, few can sell their houses. With more dual income families than ever before, having the spouse leave the other job is going to be difficult. We already have more applicants applying per requisition, meaning more to go through. We are having more conversations with managers about hiring the unemployed or the underemployed. There are more people on LinkedIn, Twitter, CareerBuilder, and Monster than ever before. By the way: remember that we stripped recruiting resources to the bone, so all this extra work has to get done by fewer people. So plan accordingly. Use technology, outsourcing, and flexible staffs to get the extra stuff done. Don’t simply hire more recruiters. Remember you are on a roller coaster.
Keep Driving Initiatives

Lay out all the projects that need to get done in the next 12 to 24 months and assign project leaders with retention in mind. This includes ATS upgrades, university relations programs, interview training, etc. Assume that you are staffing like you used to, so what areas needed improvement then? Start now. Figure out how long it will take and how much your team is capable of doing. If you can do it all, great. Likely you can’t. I may live in a house, but it does not mean I can build one. Use your internal teams, other departments, vendors, partners, consultants, and contractors to augment where your need. Push your team to projects that teach them something, and stretch them, but don’t wear them out. Don’t assign your recruiting team the admin work. Indispensable means you can’t throw them away, but it also means you can’t dump on them. Figure out who is working on what, and get the OK from management, and make those goals and objectives bonus-driven.
Build for Scale

Make a case right now that some of your new core organization will never touch an open requisition. Of course others may have to, so build that in. Now go and get the flexible team (RPO, contractors, rotation personnel, etc) to surround your core team. Maybe those resources are full time. Maybe not. They could be internal or external. My advice is make it easy to turn them on and off, and make the ROI justified. You want an internal sourcing group using search strings and blogs to save on search fees? Fine. Make sure you can still justify it. If you are not hiring executives or have been able to attract executives without hard core sourcing in this economy, then your justification for a full-time internal sourcing team may have changed or is no longer valid. Remember there is great part-time talent out there. One hundred dollars per hour may be expensive, but part-time work for 60 hours a month @ $100/hour is cheaper than a full-time sourcer at $75,000 in salary, overhead, and management.

The watchword is value (it always has been that, by the way). We are under pressure now to drive value in recruiting and prove our existence. It will look different in the coming months, but with planning we can be much better off than where we were.

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Top Ten Ways to Find Joy at Work

I set out to write a David Letterman-style Top Ten list about finding joy in the workplace in tough times. But recent revelations about how Letterman found joy at work is not what I'm advocating. His extramarital affairs with subordinates were perverse, dishonest, conspiratorial, and exploitative power-mongering -- harmful and possibly illegal. No joke. Jobs are not saved nor enhanced by turning workplaces into sleaze factories.

Exploiting others is definitely not on my list for getting more joy out of work. But enlisting others in a great cause tops it.

In researching my SuperCorp book, I saw joy during what I call "Rubik's Cube moments," when everything clicks into place for an uplifting accomplishment. "Rubik's Cube moments" might come after pulling off a complicated food drive for the homeless; collaborating across functions for a creative presentation that wins a big client; flying technology experts to the rescue after a natural disaster to manage relief supplies; convincing bosses to try job-sharing instead of a layoff; or seeing a product prototype work for the first time. Creating collaborative innovation to save the business (and overcoming frustrating drudgery) was how managers Juliana Azevedo and Tarek Farahat found themselves holding hands with workers and customers at a P&G factory as a new product first came off the line - an iconic "Rubik's Cube" SuperCorp story.

Although some studies report growing employee cynicism, job satisfaction polls show high satisfaction rates for those still employed. Job security has been the most important factor in an 80% satisfied rate for the past two years, followed by compensation and benefits, in Society for Human Resource Management surveys.

Clearly, people report job satisfaction simply because they get a paycheck. But are they getting joy? OK, maybe work was never all that joyous, and that's why it's called "work." But the post-crash daily grind is grinding some people down to a pitiful pulp. Melodramatic, I know, but I've heard sad tales from people in numerous cities during my book tour. People in secure jobs they once liked report working harder with fewer resources just to hold their own, like treading water in an endless swim machine. If current economic trends continue, we might face not just a job-less recovery but a joy-less recovery.

Here are some clues about joy. On a recent Gallup Healthways survey of 100,000 Americans, business owners outrank 10 other occupations in overall well-being, despite working longer hours and earning slightly less, on average, than professionals and managers/executives, who rank second and third. The surprising fourth is farming, fishing, and forestry, despite the lowest income of any group. (Maybe not surprising, given how many leaders unwind by fishing or brush-cutting.) More confined service, clerical, transportation, and manufacturing workers are at the bottom, in the low 40s on Gallup's 100-point well-being index compared to over 70 for business owners.

Autonomy, influence, and a sense of meaning are associated with lower stress and fewer work-related illnesses, regardless of hours worked. Supervisors are better-off than the supervised, and entrepreneurs are the best-off of all.

This suggests that exerting leadership is the surest route to joy (other than going fishing). The key is setting the agenda and starting the pieces moving towards a purpose-driven goal. If 90% of success in life is just showing up, Monster.com founder Jeff Taylor advises that when you show up, you might as well run the meeting.

So here is my list of top ways to find joy at work.

10. Identify long-term personal purpose. Write a personal mission statement, to review often.
9. Be an entrepreneur from anywhere. Even if you don't start a business (now), imagine starting a project that will improve your current job, workplace, or community.
8. Discuss the idea informally to find others feeling the same way. Enlist them in the quest. Now they're counting on you not to let them down. Describe it as an experiment that will benefit others. Incorporate feedback so that others hear their ideas in yours.
7. Get a Big Name to endorse giving it a try.
6. Negotiate out of demands that don't contribute to the goal. Keep doing what you must to keep your job, but simplify.
5. Find every supporter a task, however small. Show that you're working for their goals, too.
4. Widen the circle of the informed. Involve people not usually included.
3. Remain positive. Smiling takes fewer muscles than frowning and is contagious. Ignore skeptics unless easily converted.
2. As the bits of the cube start moving, keep communicating and coordinating.
1. Celebrate each "Rubik's Cube" moment of accomplishment. Share the joy to multiply it.

More jobs with more joy - now that's an agenda the public should rally behind. Let's not wait for employers to make changes, necessary as those are. A few good "Rubik's Cube moments" can keep us going - and influence employers to see why joy matters.

About the Author: Rosabeth Moss Kanter is a professor at Harvard Business School, where she specializes in strategy, innovation, and leadership for change. Her latest book is SuperCorp.Read author full profile at http://hbr.org/authors/kanter

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The Most Powerful 3 Words Phrases

The Most Powerful 3 Words Phrases

The following three-word phrases can enrich every relationship. These are just three little But Very Powerful words:
I'll Be There
If you have ever had to call a friend in the middle of the night, to take a sick child to hospital, or when your car has broken down some miles from home, you will know how good it feels to hear the phrase " I'll be there. " Being there for another person is the greatest gift we can give. When we're truly present for other people, important things happen to them & us. We are renewed in love and friendship. We are restored emotionally and spiritually. Being there is at the very core of civility.

I Miss You
Perhaps more marriages could be saved & strengthened if couples simply & sincerely say to each other "I miss you." This powerful affirmation tells partners they are wanted, needed, desired & loved. Consider how ecstatic you would feel, if you received an unexpected phone call from your spouse in the middle of your workday, just to say "I miss you."
I Respect You / I Trust You
Respect and trust is another way of showing love. Its conveys the feeling that another person is a true equal. If you talk to your children as if they were adults you will strengthen the bonds & become close friends. This applies to all interpersonal relationships

Maybe You're Right
This phrase is highly effective in diffusing an argument and restoring frayed emotions. The flip side to "maybe you're right" is the humility of admitting maybe "I'm wrong". Let's face it. When you have a heated argument with someone, all you do is cement the other person's point of view. They, or you, will not change their stance and you run the risk of seriously damaging the relationship between you. Saying "maybe you're right" can open the door to further explore the subject, in which you may then have the opportunity to get your view across in a more rational manner.

Please Forgive Me
Many broken relationships could be restored and healed if people would admit their mistakes and ask for forgiveness. All of us are vulnerable to faults and failures. A man should never be ashamed to own up that he has been in the wrong, which is saying, in other words, that he is wiser today than he was yesterday.

I Thank You
Gratitude is an exquisite form of courtesy. People who enjoy the companionship of good, close friends are those who don't take daily courtesies for granted. They are quick to thank their friends for their many expressions of kindness. On the other hand, people whose circle of friends is severely constricted often do not have the attitude of gratitude.

Count On Me
A friend is one who walks in when others walk out. Loyalty is an essential ingredient for true friendship; it is the emotional glue that bonds people. Those that are rich in their relationships tend to be steady and true friends. When troubles come, a good friend is there indicating "you can count on me."

Let Me Help
The best of friends see a need and try to fill it. When they spot a hurt they do what they can to heal it. Without being asked, they pitch in and help.

I Understand You
People become closer and enjoy each other more if they feel the other person accepts and understands them. Letting your spouse know in so many little ways that you understand them, is one of the most powerful tools for healing relationship . This applies to any relationship.

Go For It
We are all unique individuals. Don't try to get your friends to conform to your ideals. Support them in pursuing their interests, no matter how weird they seem to you. Everyone has dreams, dreams that are unique to that person only. Support and encourage your friends to follow their dreams. Tell them to "go for it."

I Love You
Perhaps the most important three words that you can say. Telling someone that you truly love them satisfies a person's deepest emotional needs. The need to belong, to feel appreciated and to be wanted. Your spouse, your children, your friends and you, all need to hear those three little words "I love you."

Internal Talent Integration

How well does your organization select and integrate talent for internal promotion? If you are like many organizations we’ve seen — not very well.

When promoting from within, do you select the person who is doing the best job in their current role? Do you promote the person you like the most, the person who has the most seniority, or the person who gives you attention and deference? It is not unusual to promote a good technical person or a good clinical person into a management position. Technology companies and healthcare organizations do this frequently.

If this is your current practice, then you are missing out on the opportunity to improve business performance. You may also be dramatically and unnecessarily increasing your cost of operations. This is hardly a good strategy in the current economy.

Look at the cost of a bad (mismatched) promotion:

* Time to become productive in the job

* Time to separate from being a peer to being a boss

* Time to learn the new political aspects of the job

* Turnover cost resulting from a bad promotion

* Lost productivity resulting from the turnover

* Recruiting cost to replace employees lost to turnover

* Time to become productive for the new hire

While cost is obvious, time is a valuable and non-renewable resource. A poor promotional decision is expensive.

Internal promotions should be approached the same way you approach external hires: formally. There are distinct advantages when promoting from within. The candidate knows the business, knows some of the politics (politics at the managerial and executive level, however, are different), and is familiar with the culture. But this knowledge alone does not qualify them for promotion. What qualifies them for promotion is a positive performance track record and a demonstrated ability or high potential (versus just interest) to take on additional responsibilities and succeed.

Here are five actions that organizations can take to prepare internal candidates for promotion:

1. Have a formal (or at least an informal) succession plan. Identify individuals in your organization who can fill current senior positions should the incumbent retire or leave, or new positions that are created due to growth, new product or service introductions, or new projects critical to the success of the company.

2. Implement a management development program to provide future promotable candidates the opportunity to take on additional and more challenging responsibilities. A management development program will serve to identify employee strengths, preferences, values, and potential derailers (risk tendencies) that will enable a best fit for positions available.

3. Introduce a valid and meaningful 360-degree evaluation. This will ensure that the candidates identified for promotion are truly qualified and not just good at managing up and managing their image.

4. Provide the future promotable candidates with a mentor to help guide them through both the tangible and intangible aspects of achieving success within the company.

5. Provide the newly promoted employee with coaching support to support the transition from a functional and technical focus to a manager with broader responsibilities.

Once the candidate is selected and promoted, their transition must be supported. It is reckless to assume that a candidate promoted from within the organization will automatically succeed and needs no further attention. Yes, they know the organization. But do they know how to manage and perform at a new level within the organization? Promotion doesn’t result in instant competence. A mentor or a coach are excellent ways to support the transition and prove to be a good investment.

Some candidates, however, will not have had the advantage of participating in a management development (i.e. “grooming and growing”) process. Some may never have held a management position. Some may have agreed to a promotion reluctantly.

Creating a formal talent integration process for newly promoted managers is a wise business practice.

Talent integration involves:

1. A formal transition plan to help the manager/executive integrate into the new position. Formal and purposeful discussion between the new manager/executive and their immediate supervisor on how best to work with each other and to define clear expectations regarding job performance and expected results.

2. Internal mentorship to help the manager/executive better understand how to deal with peers, how organizational politics work at the managerial level, and “how work gets done here” from a manager’s perspective.

3. Coaching (best done with an external/neutral executive/performance coach) — to help with the transition, especially for developing the management skills required in the new position (i.e. technical/clinical person being promoted to manager)

Recently highlighted in the Wall Street Journal, 26% of managers aren’t trained to manage, according to the Rasmussen Report. Now consider the even greater likelihood of this when technical people are promoted to management. For internal promotions to be highly successful, a rigorous internal promotion process must be established and a formal transition integration process must be put in place. The cost of not doing so is simply too great. Unless your funding and talent are abundant and not a concern, you can’t afford not to.

Source: http://www.ere.net/2009/11/15/internal-talent-integration/

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